Reviewers have mentioned Escalade not structurally solid like the MB giving it an inferior ride and aura.

by Peter M. DeLorenzo

Out of touch and out of time - thank goodness for the "New and Improved" Motor Trend.

Detroit. Along about this time of year, I am reminded, whether I want to be or not, of the most inane award in the entire automobile industry. Motor Trend has been conducting its "Car of the Year" award since 1949, and though they've desperately tried to instill legitimacy and gravitas to its selection process each year, make no mistake - this is a giant revenue generator and marketing opportunity, pure and simple.

Oh yes, I've heard some of my colleagues wax-on eloquently about how Motor Trend is better, bandying about words like "much improved" and even "transformed." And to a minor degree, I would agree, with the overall art direction at least tolerable for the most part. But despite all of the hype and the bluster and the well-intentioned efforts of editor in chief Angus MacKenzie, the Motor Trend Car/Truck/Sport/Utility Awards taints every noble effort by the editorial staff for the rest of the year.

But then again, this has always been the case.

I remember in my previous life in advertising at BBDO-Detroit when I was given the task of presenting creative work to Motor Trend honchos in order to convince them that if the Dodge Lancer was selected for the "COTY" as it's commonly referred to (yes, that's right - the Dodge Lancer), Dodge and the agency had a suitable plan - meaning one that would encompass spending enough money - to justify MT dispensing their "coveted" award.

As I recall, we spent a ton of money for the privilege of campaigning for the award - and lo and behold, our plan was sufficient enough because, amazingly enough, the Lancer "won" the COTY. Since that time, MT has gone out of its way to let the world know that they take their awards seriously.

But what has really changed, exactly? Not much.

This year, MT says that it "...evaluates eligible vehicles based on three key categories: Significance, Superiority, and Value. Significance refers to innovation in engineering, technology, design, safety and packaging. Superiority levels the playing field and looks for class-leading levels of vehicle dynamics and performance, build quality and execution, and how well the vehicle performs its intended function. Finally, the all-important Value question asks, 'What does this vehicle deliver in relation to what the consumer has to pay to purchase and own it?'"

That's all well and good, but this year's winner of Motor Trend's 2007 Sport/Utility of the Year is the $55,000+ Mercedes-Benz GL450, basically a stretched M-Class SUV. The new GL is not only monumentally tedious to look at - with enough creases, folds and "me-too" SUV cues to make even the homely Jeep Commander look tolerable - in no way, shape or form should the word "value" ever be uttered within 20 feet of it.

Mercedes can boast all they want about their improved quality efforts and the myriad steps they've taken to ensure that the quality of their SUVs will be competitive, but it's far too early to tell if that will be true. It's safe to say that given the past dismal quality record of Mercedes-Benz in general and their SUVs in particular, consumers need to approach the vehicle with a large measure of caution. So basically, Motor Trend's "all-important Value" component of their judging process is immediately suspect - at best.

MacKenzie did his best to try to pump up the volume for the magazine's selection by saying, "The GL may be a surprise winner for many people. The first full-size sport/utility from Mercedes is not cheap, but it has astonishing technology. It offers a seven-speed automatic transmission and a V-8 engine with 335 horsepower, and it will be available in a version that runs on the new low-sulfur diesel fuel for greater gas mileage. Comfortable, third-row seating has become one of the most important measures for sport/utilities, and the GL's is the best."

Uh, okay - if you say so, Angus.

But he couldn't stop there, oh no. He continued, "The GL extends the reach of Mercedes-Benz in the sport/utility segment, and is certainly the best sport/utility they've made. In every facet, from performance to the interior, the vehicle is a winner."

Just off the top of my head, the phrase, "...the best sport/utility they've made..." says it all. It's not the best SUV you can buy, it's just the best SUV Mercedes-Benz has made. This allows the magazine's editorial staff to stand apart a safe distance from their selection - at least safe enough to look in the mirror in the morning.

But who's kidding whom here? The MT "COTY" award has nothing to do with the integrity of the selection criteria or the credibility of the editorial staff. Instead, it has everything to do with marketing "synergies" - and which auto manufacturer wants it bad enough, plain and simple. And after all of their somber pronouncements about the award and what it means to the industry and of course, to you, the consumer - in the end, the Motor Trend "COTY" is nothing but a glorified joint marketing effort between Primedia, and in this case, Mercedes-Benz - the designated beneficiary.

So, expect to see an amazing number of print ads in magazines touting M-B's award - especially in Motor Trend itself (there's a shocker). And expect to see a TV commercial touting M-B's "victory" and plenty of Internet ads and showroom displays too. After all, what would the "COTY" campaign be without that ubiquitous trophy showing up everywhere? In some respects, it's quaint that the Motor Trend "COTY" still even exists. It harkens back to a time when things were much simpler - when a backroom deal was struck, and everybody got something tangible for it.

Nowadays, in our painfully politically correct, touchy-feely era, the Motor Trend editorial staff and Primedia have to go through all sorts of gyrations and calculated displays of pomposity to convince all of us that the award is worthy of respect.

Wouldn't it be much easier if they just announced the award, buried us in ads and dispensed with the rest of the hand-wringing?

Then, the people who don't know any better could attach their own level of significance to it.

While the rest of us could do what we always do - studiously ignore it.

Thanks for listening, see you next Wednesday.